07 June 2005

My Sur La Table summer classes.

**UPDATE: Because of a family emergency I will be unable to teach these classes this summer. I plan to teach again in the Fall and Spring and I will use e g g b e a t e r as my forum for letting you know what my classes in the future will be. Thank you for your interest.

Shuna Fish Lydon June 28, 2005

Last night I taught my first Sur La Table class of the season. The summer pies, cobblers, shortcakes & crisps (lest we forget galettes?) class. This is my second summer with them and it remains invigorating and good fun. I tend to veer towards the Hands-On classes so that people can really touch and taste and smell everything in the process. I focused on two difficult doughs and attempted to conquer people's fears about them.

It helps when the doughs are a vehicle for the best stone fruit (Blossom Bluff Apriums) and berries, right this minute in the season, has to offer. I substituted Tayberries for raspberries and ollallieberries for blackberries. I passed on names of farmer's and markets that I trust and love for summer fruits, sang the praises of Anson Mills flours and waxed poetically about Clover butter and Organic cream. What's not to love about teaching?

Four items is a lot to take on in one 2 1/2 hour class. But there are a lot of assistants (2 of whom had taken my Holiday Cookie Exchange class), more than enough of Kitchen-Aids, and an entire plate of desserts to eat in the end.

I looked up the Los Gatos location on Mapquest today. It said that the driving time is 53 minutes. So invite you-- Come to the country one morning this summer and eat dessert for breakfast...

Comments

Speaking of foraging (go you! I'm changing my link to this blog to read "All Things Kitchen") I haven't had blackberries much since I ripped out the ones that were taking over my back yard. The neighbors at the end of the alley cleared theirs out as well at the same time and it's just not the same when you can't smell the berries, pick, and eat. Ahhhhhh.

Blossom Bluff fruit is wonderful! I grew up in Central Valley stone fruit country and I am very picky about my peaches. I am glad they haul theirs all the way in to sell to me in the fogbelt.